Very early in the morning on Sunday the 18th of July 100 Sky employees will be lining up to take on the ultimate cycling challenge - the Etape du Tour.

Louise Johnson, Kathryn Drought, Doug Imrie, Omar White, Leo Malagoni and Gemma Christie will be among them.

The182 km / 113 mile course will take us from in up and over 3 famous Pyrenean mountain passes finishing atop the mighty Tourmalet, a mountain that’s known rather worringly in cycling circles as "The Assassin".  The route is exactly the same as the one the pros will ride a few days later on the toughest leg of this year’s Tour de France.  With more than 4000m to climb throughout the day there is no denying that it's going to be tough.  For many of us in fact it'll be the toughest challenge we've ever taken on and there are as many personal reasons for doing so as there are people in the team. 

However, now that we're counting down days rather than weeks, and with most of the training behind, us we're also keen to dedicate our efforts to a good cause. 

Last year Sky and WWF launched Sky Rainforest Rescue to help save 1 billion trees in the Amazon rainforest.  This is important not only to protect the livelihoods of the people and animals who make the forest their home, but also because tropical rainforests have a major role to play absorbing harmful greenhouse gases which is very good news us all.

Knowing that we're riding for a good cause can only make the miles seem shorter and the mountains lower (right?) and a £20 donation saves 1000 trees.  What's more, Sky will match your contribution pound for pound so please dig deep.

In return for your support, on our return from we promise to recount glorious tales of sporting derring-do again, and again, and again…

And finally, please spare a thought for us on Sunday the 18^th because there’s no doubt we’ll be hurting.

Many thanks indeed,

The Sky Etape Team

http://www.letapedutour.com/2010/ETDT/presentation/us/parcours.htm

www.sky.com/rainforestrescue